1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally concerns the fields of cell biology and molecular biology. In specific cases, the invention concerns the field of stem cell biology and maturation of stem cell-derived cells, including cardiomyocytes and hepatocytes, for example.
2. Description of Related Art
During fetal stages, tissues primarily utilize glycolysis as the primary energy source for metabolism (Lehman and Kelly, 2002; Lopaschuk et al., 2010). During perinatal development of many tissues, including heart and liver, the primary form of metabolism switches to fatty acid oxidation (FAO), which then provides an intermediate for the citric acid cycle (TCA cycle). The majority of media is designed for immortalized, tumor-derived cell lines that are metabolically adapted to grow quickly and generate energy primarily through glycolysis with little reliance on aerobic respiration or mitochondria in general. Therefore, to improve the metabolic maturation state of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) and human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived cell types, for example, it is necessary to promote aerobic respiration and its associated input pathways, as opposed to glycolysis.